Upholding People's Rights under the Constitution

Saturday, July 03, 2010

Email of 25 March 2010 to Julia Gillard MP

Dear Ms Gillard MP,

I refer to my email of 1 February of 2010 to Mr Karl Bitar, the national secretary of ALP. The email is attached. Ms Jessica Lasky, personal assistant to Mr Bitar, informed me that my email had been forwarded to your office and that I should contact the policy unit of your office. I tried to phone your office, but was advised that I had to put it in writing.

The concern in my email to Mr Bitar is, for the time being, all Australians have no right to complain about workplace illegality at work according a ruling case. I raised the issue to your attention before and after you became the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. On 24 April 2008 Ms Sue Sadauskas replied on your behalf saying to the effect that nothing could be done.

In his email of 22 January 2010, Mr Bitar urged all ALP supporters ‘to make sure Australian voters are well informed of’ what the Rudd government’s policies are. Ms Lasdy could not confirm whether or not that workers have no right to complain about workplace illegalities is Rudd Government’s policy. She forwarded my email to your office and advised me to call your department for further information. On 19 March 2010 at 4:15 pm Lee, who refused to spell his name and hanged up the phone, asserted that the court ruling becomes the government’s policy even though people believe that the court ruling is incorrect.

On 26 August 2008, Mr Alex Anderson, assistant secretary of the Prime Minister, wrote on behalf of the Prime Minister saying to the effect that the court ruling is ‘incorrect’. On 16 December 2008, Ms Rebecca Irwin, senior adviser to the Prime Minister, found my ‘key concern relates to the protection of employees who are given apparently unlawful directions by their employers in the workplace’.

In my opinion, something went wrong; therefore, I tried to address the issue for years. I think Mr Bitar considered something went wrong as well, otherwise, he would not have forwarded my email to your office. Furthermore, many people, organisations and politicians, who support the petition regarding the court ruling, have concerns on the matter. (A leaflet is attached.) However, on face of it, you and your department have no problem that the ‘incorrect’ (or unconstitutional) ruling case becomes a Rudd government’s policy.

As said by Mr Bitar, I have responsibility to let voters know Rudd government’s policy for this year’s election even though I refused to accept over the years that the court ruling is a Rudd government’s policy and tried hard to raise the issue to the government.

I understand you and your staffs are very busy. I would have no reason to raise the same issue repeatedly to you and your department, if Mr Bitar had not forwarded my email to your office. To avoid misunderstanding or clarify any possible confusion, I would like to get a written response from you or your office in relation to my email to Mr Bitar. I believe Mr Bitar wants your office to clarify the matter as well.